Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield wrote soul music with a conscience. With The Impressions he turned gospel harmonies into civil rights anthems like 'People Get Ready' and 'Keep On Pushing', and his soft, high falsetto and gentle, chiming guitar made even the most urgent messages sound tender.
Going solo in 1970, he pushed into deeper, funkier territory, with wah-wah guitar, congas and sweeping strings. His Super Fly soundtrack famously out-earned the film it was written for, with 'Freddie's Dead' and 'Pusherman' painting an unflinching picture of street life, and Curtis and Curtis/Live! are just as essential.
A 1990 stage accident left him paralysed, but he still made New World Order, recording his vocals lying down.
If you like Curtis Mayfield you should check out: Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, The Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, Charles Bradley, James Brown, Otis Redding
